Wisconsin GOP Gov. Walker needs to stay

Few people should be surprised that a recent poll of Wisconsin Republicans shows 82 percent of them approve of embattled GOP Gov. Scott Walker.

Or that the state's liberals — led by Democrats and their union labor leaders who create smear and fear in equal measure — have targeted him in a June 5 recall election.

Last winter Walker used his bully pulpit to weaken collective bargaining of state employees. The action ended seniority and tenure for public school teachers; they can be hired or fired (and paid) based on performance. And state employees aren't forced to be in a union and pay dues. They get to decide if they want to join.

Did that hurt Wisconsin or its residents? No. State unemployment is the lowest since 2008. The state's budget deficit of $3.6 billion was balanced without raising taxes.

Yet his political foes want Walker recalled so they can return to bankruptcy days of yore.

Gov. Walker's hope for survival in that liberal state seems to rest in convincing non-dogmatic Democrats and Wisconsin's independent voters that he deserves to remain.

We hope he wins. If Walker is tossed, watch out. Union smear-fear tactics will become a bigger monster for many states than it already has been.